Friday, November 30

We already knew that Walter at Kickstart Cycle in NJ is good people. And his latest idea is typical of his big-heartedness and imagination.

Here's the deal: if you do a good deed – volunteer, help someone less fortunate than yourself – you could be rewarded not just by a nice fuzzy warm feeling inside, but some very nice biker swag from names like Vanson, Biltwell, S&S and Speed Merchant.

Wednesday, November 21

Like everything on here, this is my opinion; and like most of my opinions when it comes to motorcycles, it's pretty much spot on: a custom bike's success aesthetically depends on lines, not fabrication.

Proportion.

It's what it all comes down to. Is that fender too high off the wheel? Is that hardtail section an inch too long... or too short? Are there brass taps and pinstriped nonsense where there should be delicacy and discretion?

Brett Gear gets it. These bikes sit right. He's in Australia, and we want to see some of his work in the mag soon.

Monday, November 19

I have made no secret of my dislike for bloggers who rely on reconstituted material from other blogs and one of the rules I set myself from the beginning was to try to post original material, or at least material I had scanned, shot or sourced myself.
But there you are, I am a weak human being and here is a photo I stole from the net. Apologies if it's yours or if you posted it first. I love it... and it's given me fresh ideas for the Pan (and in fact, I am nearly there if I wanted to ape the bike in the photo).
If anyone has any more information about this image, please feel free to share.

Sunday, November 18

Heard The Dubliners' brilliant version of this on the radio this morning and it sparked a rapid succession of memories.
So what's the connection between The Pogues and motorcycles?
Well, when I used to hang around Camden Town in the eighties there was a guy with a bleached quiff who seemed to be a permanent fixture in the Caernarvon Castle pub (Shane McGowan's local) and was always at Pogues gigs. He turned out to be one of their roadies... and it was only years later I discovered it was founding 'Father Fury' of The Sinners, Rico Fodrey.
It's a funny old world.

Thursday, November 15

Pete and I visited the Bonhams car and motorcycle auction at Harrogate yesterday.

It was quieter than last year, with fewer gems for sale. The highlights for me were a moss-and-mildew-covered '65 Ferrari 330GT which went for £68,700 and a 1950 Vincent Rapide which had had one owner for the past 50 years, which went for £28,750.

Tuesday, November 13

If you have seen the current DicE mag (I still haven't!) you may remember the name Claes Lindblom, as his Panhead bobber is featured. And as if one jaw-droppingly gorgeous old H-D wasn't enough, he also built this '54 Pan chopper which we saw at The Castle Run in Denmark in May.

In true Swedish style, this bike is hard-ridden but absolutely immaculate. Check out those dual Dell'Ortos! How do they do it? How do we do it? The great features just keep coming... and this one is coming soon my friends.

Sunday, November 11

This is turning into the Aussie punk weekend! Another influential band from the late '80s was Bored!... they still play together and my good mate Buzz is the drummer. He looks about 22 now... and about 11 in some of the photos on this video. He must have a portrait in the attic.

Friday, November 9

Chris Woodage is a great photographer, bike builder... and now he has his own very stylish coffee shop. Combining all the best things in life – caffeine, art, photography and motorcycles – Crocker and Woods opens tomorrow at 27 Catherine Hill, Frome.

Go along and pick up the latest issue of GKM whilst you're there... Chris will be stocking it in his new establishment.

Thursday, November 8

If you wore dealer boots from Southall Market in the eighties, you will remember the Downham Tavern. And if you remember the Downham Tavern, you will remember these two tracks. There was never a better recreation of the 40s juke joints... knives and all.

Anyone who put grease in their hair in London in the eighties will remember The Phoenix. And anyone who went to The Phoenix will remember these two tracks... a couple of the best blues boppers I've ever heard, and I heard them there first.

Wednesday, November 7

Late 2006. The sky in Sydney is the brightest blue. The sun offers a warm embrace from sun-up to sundown. Spanking new 400D in hand, I go looking for material for the new magazine I am thinking about publishing. I met Mark Austin, proprietor of Pacific H-D, through my friend Roger Chambers and remembered a cool Knucklehead bob-job I'd seen tucked away in the back of his shop.

So one day I headed an hour and a half north out of the city to the central coast, where I shot the shit with Mark and then shot his bike. It's one of his personal bikes and one of my favourite Knuckleheads.

Mark had an online store where you could browse his stash of vintage parts but it was never updated, so I'd be tantalised enough by a ribbed Bates seat or set of Stelling risers to call him, knowing he'd always say "ahhh... we sold that ages ago".